Built by a keeper,
for keepers.
Exotaria exists because finding a well-documented, captive-bred exotic animal in India used to be nearly impossible. We fixed that — one species at a time.
Where this started
I kept tarantulas before I kept anything else. The first one arrived in a plastic bag with no documentation, no species name, and no care information. I didn't know what I had bought until I spent a week cross-referencing photos on foreign forums. That was 2017.
By 2021 I had a small collection — tarantulas, a blue tongue skink, a pair of ball pythons — and the same problem in reverse: I wanted to rehome some animals and couldn't find buyers I trusted. The Indian exotic pet space had a documentation problem. Sellers didn't declare. Buyers couldn't verify. The animals in the middle were the ones who suffered when things went wrong.
Exotaria started as an attempt to build the store I wish had existed when I began. Every animal we sell has a paper trail. Every buyer gets our personal number. That hasn't changed.
Compliance is not optional here
We operate under India's Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and CITES regulations. Every species we sell is selected because it is legal to own, legal to sell, and legal to ship domestically. We do not sell WPA Schedule I–IV listed species. We do not sell wild-caught animals. We do not sell through informal channels that bypass documentation.
Every animal we sell comes with:
- The seller's existing MoEFCC declaration document
- Species identification (common name, scientific name)
- Hatch or acquisition date and approximate lineage
- A care sheet specific to the species and Indian conditions
- WhatsApp support for 30 days post-purchase
We also help buyers register their new animals under the PARIVESH voluntary disclosure scheme — at no extra cost, within 48 hours of delivery.
We list Poecilotheria metallica (Gooty Sapphire Ornamental) and other Indian Poecilotheria species on our site for educational reference only. These species are protected under WPA Schedule II and cannot be legally sold in India. We believe keepers should be able to identify them and understand why they are protected — not to circumvent the law, but to enforce it when they encounter illegal trade.
How we source animals
Every species on Exotaria comes from captive breeding programmes — either our own breeding pairs or from verified breeders we have visited in person. We do not buy from importers or dealers who cannot show us documentation. We do not buy from anyone selling wild-caught stock.
For tarantulas, we maintain breeding groups of the most popular beginner species — salmon pink birdeater, curly hair, and chaco golden-knee — and source intermediate and advanced species from two other keeper-breeders in Delhi and Bengaluru whose practises we have audited directly.
Ball pythons and other reptiles are handled differently — availability varies by season and breeding cycle. Contact us directly for reptile enquiries; we do not list them with an automated checkout.
Welfare standards
We believe the most important moment of an exotic animal's life in captivity is the transition between owners. A stressed animal arriving in a new home often refuses food, is more vulnerable to disease, and may die before the new owner understands what is wrong.
Our shipping protocol — by train with a personal escort, breathable escape-proof packaging, no shipping above 42°C or during heavy monsoon disruption — is designed to minimise that transition stress. We have a live delivery guarantee: if your animal arrives dead, we replace it, no questions.
We also do not sell to buyers who we believe are unprepared. If you contact us for a ball python and haven't set up an enclosure yet, we will tell you to set up the enclosure first. We would rather lose a sale than send an animal to a bad situation.
Legal entity & registration
Exotaria is a brand operated by Arrexar, a sole proprietorship registered with the Ministry of MSME, Government of India (Udyam Registration No. UDYAM-BR-26-0234389). For registered address, GST status, and other legal details, see our Contact Us page. Our Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Refund & Cancellation Policy apply to all orders and reservations placed through this site.